Well, that may not be the literal truth but it is the reality for many people who live with more than onedog. When they call one dog they all come and get a fuss, when I ask the owners why they do this they reply that they want to be fair and feel that it would be cruel to not respond to them all.

 

There is usually a pause after this comment followed by the inevitable question, ' Well how can I ignore the dogs that I didn't call?' and the answer is always the same, 'just ignorethem'. 

 

Dogs are really smart and will always do whatever they have to do to get your attention and if charging over to you when you call one of their companions gets that result, then that will do. I invite you to use their intelligence to get the response that you actually want and when you call one dog just look at that one dog, just stroke that one dog and ignore the others, you can always focus on another individual a little later, safe and happy in the knowledge that your dogs will quickly learn that their name is actually Charlie, or Molly or Bobby. 

 

Owners love to see their dogs as being unique and individuals and working with them this way will not only bring peace and joy to your home but will allow you to get to know the special personality that is in every dog, just as we do with children when we recognise that their age, their interests and even their mood will influence the special nature of our relationship. 

 

Far from being unfair to a dog to be ignored when you call another, it takes the guess work out of their lives and dogs respond and respect clarity of thinking and you will find that your dogs will actually relax much more, as they will know that when you want them, you will let them know.

 

 

Jan Fennell

8th February 2012